The new zero-emission Range Rover EV is undergoing the last of its extreme-weather tests before it hits showrooms next year – and the British car maker has promised it will be ‘the most capable electric luxury SUV’ when it does arrive.
With sister brand Jaguar preparing to embark on its ambitious bid to reinvigorate stumbling sales by becoming an exclusively electric brand from 2026, Land Rover is putting the final touches to its first battery powered car.
Images, shared by JLR this week, show the hulking SUV taking on the terrains of the United Arab Emirates in temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius with humidity levels of 90 per cent.
It comes seven months after the electric Range Rover was snapped testing for the first time in contrasting conditions in the Arctic Circle.
In terms of the SUV’s looks, JLR execs clearly aren’t willing to mess with a winning formula; in fact, to tell it apart from a petrol or diesel Range will require an inspection of whether there’s exhaust pipes or not.
The full unveiling – and details of its green powertrain – is due early next year. But don’t expect it to be cheap, especially with a premium on the conventional Range Rover’s £100,000-plus starting price.
The new zero-emission Range Rover EV is undergoing the last of its extreme-weather tests before it hits showrooms next year – and the British car maker has promised it will be ‘the most capable electric luxury SUV’
Why is it being tested in the UAE?
Range Rover EV prototype mules will undoubtedly be trudging – incognito – around the Midlands as we speak but, despite the changeable weather in Solihull, it doesn’t quite offer the extreme conditions required to ensure a model is suitable for sales across a global market.
This is especially the case for any new Range Rover, which is immensely popular among affluent types around the world in varying climates.
The United Arab Emirates’ sweltering temperatures and difficult terrains were earmarked as the ideal hot-weather test bed – and the prime proving ground to showcase the car’s abilities to Land Rover’s growing Middle East audience that’s likely to snap up expensive electric Range Rovers in droves.
Land Rover said the location provided ample opportunity to examine the performance of its new thermal management system in stifling heat to ensure it could still provide ‘maximum client cabin comfort’.
JLR says all cars surpassed expectations. Well, it wouldn’t say otherwise, would it?
Images, shared by JLR this week, show the hulking SUV taking on the terrains of the United Arab Emirates in temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius with humidity levels of 90%
Images have also been circulated of the prototype electric Range Rovers scaling the 300ft ‘Big Red’ sand dune in the heart of Sharjah’s Al Badayer desert
The new Range Rover Electric is equipped with a new Intelligent Torque Management system, which replaces a conventional ABS-based traction control, to improve grip levels off-road
Images have also been circulated of the prototype electric Range Rovers scaling the 300ft ‘Big Red’ sand dune in the heart of Sharjah’s Al Badayer desert.
Despite being a premium family model that’s likely to be reserved for use on the private school run in Britain, every Range Rover still has to be phenomenally capable off-road.
The new battery version is no different.
That’s why it has been fitted with a unique Intelligent Torque Management system, which replaces a conventional ABS-based traction control.
With the weight of the batteries likely increasing the already crushing bulk of the conventional Range Rover (which tips the scale at 2,667kg in standard wheelbase form), the system developed for the EV diverts power to each electric motor.
Technicians at Land Rover say it should reduce torque reaction time from around 100 milliseconds to as little as one millisecond.
JLR said all five attempts it made to reach the summit of Big Red were a success, thanks to the new system.
Just like the images of the car it shared in April while testing on frozen lakes in Sweden, the test mules are completely uncamouflaged – a stark contrast to how the company usually treats its prototypes ahead of their reveal
JLR said the decision to show the exterior in full is to provide a glimpse of the vehicle without disguise is to ‘underline the build quality of the initial prototypes’
Commenting on what is surely one of the final test beds for the new Range Rover Electric ahead of full production commencing, product engineering director Thomas Müller said: ‘A hot climate is one of the most challenging for any battery-electric vehicle, because of the need to cool the cabin and optimise battery performance at the same time.
‘The additional challenge of driving on sand requires controlled low-speed torque, so our specially developed traction control and thermal management systems work in harmony to ensure power delivery is unaffected.
‘Our tests have shown that in this climate, repeatedly driving the equivalent of 100 metres uphill on fine sand, Range Rover Electric matches the performance of its ICE equivalents; in some instances, even surpassing them – thanks to the introduction of these new features.’
The brand says the ‘modernist design language’ stays true to the ‘Range Rover bloodline’
The full unveiling – and details of its green powertrain – is due early next year, once the Range Rover Electric’s brutal extreme-condition testing is complete. But don’t expect it to be cheap
Electric Range Rover: New powertrain; same look
JLR isn’t leaving anything to the imagination ahead of the full reveal of its Range Rover EV.
Just like the images of the car it shared in April while testing on frozen lakes in Sweden, the test mules are completely uncamouflaged – a stark contrast to how the company usually treats its prototypes ahead of their reveal.
JLR said the decision to provide a glimpse of the vehicle without disguise is to ‘underline the build quality of the initial prototypes’.
But that’s not to say you can spot many differences to the conventional Range Rover that’s been on sale since 2022.
This was our first look at the new battery-powered luxury SUV without camouflage back in April. While it might look the same as the petrol/diesel Range Rover on sale since 2022, what lies beneath is very different indeed
The EV version looks almost identical to the Range Rover already in showrooms – bar what looks like a tweaked grille design, the lack of exhausts and the flap that slides across to reveal the charging socket, seen here during its Artic Circle testing
Finished in black paint, the EV version looks almost identical to the vehicle already in showrooms – bar what looks like a tweaked grille design, the lack of exhausts and the flap that slides across to reveal the charging socket.
The brand says the ‘modernist design language’ stays true to the ‘Range Rover bloodline’.
The underbody is also likely to be tweaked to improve aerodynamic efficiency – this extending battery range – though won’t be an obvious giveaway for the green drivetrain bolted above.
Bosses at the British marque have previously stated the electric Rangie will offer ‘comparable’ performance to the existing V8 model, which suggests it should have in the region of 520bhp
JLR says the Range Rover Electric is undertaking extreme temperature testing to ensure the drivetrain and battery and cope with varying conditions
What’s the battery range?
JLR has remained – for now – tight lipped on many of the performance details for the Range Rover Electric.
What we do know is that it will use an 800V architecture, which will put it on par with the likes of Porsche’s Taycan, Kia’s EV6 and EV9 SUV, Hyundai’s Ioniq range and the Lotus Eletre to offer the fastest ultra-rapid charging speeds.
Bosses at the British marque have previously stated the electric Rangie will offer ‘comparable’ performance to the existing V8 model, which suggests it should have in the region of 520bhp.
And it’s promised to be the smoothest, quietest Range Rover yet, given its electric credentials.
Battery range hasn’t been discussed by JLR, but given the architecture and size of battery pack, many expect the Range Rover Electric to be able to complete around 400 miles on a single charge.
Initially, the batteries will be supplied by a third-party company.
However, following the completion of JLR’s £4billion Somerset gigafactory – funded by parent group Tata and scheduled to open in 2026 – the company will be able to start using its own batteries.
JLR is desperate for the Range Rover Electric to ‘exceed its already renowned performance on low-grip surfaces’ in a bid to ensure the ‘all-terrain, all-weather and all-surface capability of the Range Rover remains unparallelled’
No pricing information has been provided, but expect it to far exceed the £104,025 for the entry Range Rover on sale now
How much will it cost?
The Range Rover Electric will be built in Britain at the company’s Solihull plant – where it will be assembled alongside the existing mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid Range Rover models.
JLR opened the waiting list for Range Rover Electric in December and by February claimed to have taken more than 16,000 ‘expressions of interest’ – though these aren’t necessarily orders.
Until the car is officially unveiled, pricing will remain under wraps.
However, given the Range Rover already starts at £104,025, the all-electric model could ring in close to £150,000.
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